Drain tank



Sept. 13, 1955 A. D. REISERT ETAL DRAIN TANK Filed Dec. 8, 1951 Iflllllllllll United States Patent Ofiice 2,717,660 Patented Sept. 13, 1955 DRAIN TANK August D. Reisert, Bel-Nor, and William C. Wittmond,

St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Lincoln Engineering Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application December 8, 1951, Serial No. 260,738

7 Claims. (Cl. 134t.5)

This invention relates to drain tanks, and more particularly to tanks for receiving oil being drained from automotive vehicles.

In draining oil from automotive vehicles, such as in dra'ning oil from the engine crankcase when changing oil, it is customary practice to place a receptacle under the vehicle in a position to receive the oil, and when the receptacle has been filled to empty it into a larger container such as an oil drum. The primary object of this invention is the provision of a drain tank especially for this purpose which may be readily mounted on an adjustable stand for receiving oil, and which may be easily removed from the stand, carried to a container and emptied into the container without spilling oil. In general, a drain tank of this invention comprises an opentop receptacle having a baffle plate below its top dividing it into an upper basin for catching draining liquid and a lower storage compartment, with an opening for drainage of liquid from the basin to the storage compartment, and a pouring spout from the upper part of the compartment, the baffle plate preventing liquid from spilling when the receptacle is tilted to pour off liquid through the spout. Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described and the scope of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invent on is illustrated.

Fig. l is a view of the invention of a drain tank of this invention shown as mounted on an adjustable stand;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the drain tank; and,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, a drain tank of this invention is shown to comprise a sheet metal receptacle generally designated 1, having a cylindrical side wall 3, a bottom wall 5, and being open at its top, where it has an outer rolled bead 7 constituting the rim of the receptacle. The receptacle, by way of example, may be 9%" high and 12% in diameter, having a three gallon capacity. The cylindrical form is not essential, other forms being suitable. The receptacle has a bafiie plate 9 some distance below its top dividing it into an upper basin 11 for catching draining liquid, and a lower storage compartment 13, with an opening at 15 for drainage of liquid from the basin to the storage compartment. It also has a pouring spout 17 from the upper part of the storage compartment. The battle plate 9 prevents liquid from spilling when the receptacle is tilted to pour oit liquid through the spout.

Batiie plate 9 closes the receptacle except for the opening 15 which is located toward one side of the receptacle. The bafile plate in conjunction with the portion of the cylindrical side wall 3 of the receptacle above the batiie plate forms the basin 11. The pouring spout 17 is in the side of the receptacle opposite the opening 15 and below and closely adjacent the baffle plate. The bafile plate is formed for drainage of liquid through the opening 15 into the storage compartment 13. For this purpose, as shown herein, the battle plate is formed as a downwardly dished circular plate having at its margin an upstanding peripheral flange 19 spot welded to the inside of the receptacle side wall 3. The dished plate is formed with a radial trough 21 inclined downward from its center (which is the low part of the dished plate) toward the periphery of the plate. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the trough is of sector shape. The outer end of the trough is spaced from the peripheral wall 3 of the receptacle 1 so that the trough is open at its outer end at the margin of the baffle plate to form the opening 15.

The receptacle has means at its bottom for socketing it to an adjustable stand such as is illustrated in Fig. 1. More particularly, this means comprises a stud 23 extending down from the center of the bottom 3. In general, the stand compri es a base 25, a hollow rod 27 extending upward from the base, a hollow rod 29 telescopically slidable in the rod 27, and a latch 31 for latching the rod 29 at a desired elevation. The stud 23 may be socketed in the upper end of the rod 29. Lateral support for the receptacle is furnished by a disc 30 on the upper end of the rod 29. Latch 31 may be of any suitable form, and since its details are not essential to an understanding of this invention, further description is omitted.

The drain tank of this invention is shown as further comprising an auxiliary trough 33 pivoted to the side of the receptacle above the bafiie plate 9 for swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis from an inverted position over the bafiie plate (shown in solid lines in Figs. 2 and 3) to an upwardly facing position extending laterally from the top of the receptacle and inclined downward toward the receptacle (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3). More particularly, the trough 33 comprises a sheet metal plate having side flanges 35. The width of the trough is less than the diameter of the receptacle. A sheet metal bracket 37 is spot welded to the inside of the side wall 3 of the receptacle above the baflic plate on the spout side of the receptacle. A sheet metal angle 39 is fixed to the bracket with one leg 41 extending horizontally from the bracket. The trough is pivotally connected to this horizontal leg 41 by means of a continuous hinge 43, one leaf of the hinge being spot welded to the leg.

The bottom of the trough 33 is of such length that the free end of the trough extends over the rim of the receptacle when the trough is in its inverted flange-down position. The flanges do not reach to the free end of the trough to be receivable in the basin 11. At its free end, the trough has a spring latch 45 engageable with the rim 7 of the receptacle for latching the trough in inverted position. The upwardly facing or flange-up position of the trough may be determined by the engagement of the bottom of the trough with the rim of the receptacle, as illustrated in Fig. 3, or with the head of a screw 47 threaded in a nut 49 secured to the bottom of the leg 41. The screw may be adjusted to determine various inclinations of the trough steeper than its minimum inclination determined by its engagement with the rim of the receptacle.

In using the drain tank of this invention, it is socketed by means of the stud 23 in the adjustable stand and positioncd under a vehicle to catch oil being drained from the vehicle. Usually the trough 33 will be swung to its open position so that oil draining downward from the vehicle will fall directly into the basin 11, and drain from the basin downward into the lower storage compartment 13. In some circumstances, it may be inconvenient to position the receptacle directly under the point where oil is being drained from the vehicle, in which case the trough 33 may be located to catch the oil draining from the vehicle, the oil draining down the trough 33 into the basin 11, and thence into the lower storage compartment 13. Also, in some circumstances, the receptacle may be located under one point of oil drainage and the extended trough 33 under another point of oil drainage, so that the two drainage operations may be carried out at the same time.

After the tank ha. been filled with oil, it may be readily removed from its stand and carried away to pour off the oil into a larger container. Pouring off is accomplished simply by tilting the tank so that the oil in the storage compartment will pour out through the spout. The battle plate prevents oil from spilling when the tank is tilted. It is contemplated that a special adaptor bushing (not shown) be provided to fit the bung opening in an oil drum or a sump tank fitting, this bushing having a notch for receiving the pouring spout to facilitate the pouring off of the oil. This bushing, however, does not constitute a part of the invention, and hence is not illustrated or further described herein.

From the above, it will be seen that the invention provides a drain tank which may be readily mounted on an adjustable stand in position for receiving oil being drained from a vehicle, and which, when filled with oil, may be readily lifted from the stand and carried away for pouring off the oil into a storage container without spilling any of the oil therein. It is of a form which is convenient to handle and carry even though filled with as much as three gallons of oil, for example, and has no valves which might stick open and occasion spilling of oil. It considerably enhances cleanliness in the operation of draining the oil from a vehicle and pouring off the drained oil into a storage container.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

A: many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A drain tank comprising a receptacle divided by a bafile plate below its top into an upper basin and a lower storage compartment with an opening for drainage of liquid from the basin to the compartment, a pouring spout from the top of the compartment, a trough consisting of a plate having side flanges, the trough being pivoted at one end to the side of the receptacle above the plate for swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis from a flange-down position in the receptacle above the battle plate to a flange-up position extending laterally to one side of the top of the receptacle and inclined downward toward the receptacle.

2. A drain tank as set forth in claim 1, wherein the trough has a latch at its free end opposite its pivotal connection to the receptacle engageable with the rim of the receptacle for latching the trough in flange-down position.

3. A drain tank as set forth in claim 1, further including an adjustable stop carried by the receptacle engageable by the trough when swung to flange-up position to determine its inclination.

4. A drain tank comprising an open-top receptacle having a side wall and a bottom, a battle plate fixed in the receptacle below its top, said baflle plate, in conjunction with the upper portion of the side wall of the receptacle above the battle plate, defining an upper basin for catching draining liquid, the portion of the receptacle below the plate constituting a lower storage compartment, he plate having an opening toward one side for drainage of liquid from the basin to the storage compartmcnt, and a pouring spout from the rpper part of the compartment opposite said opening, the baffie plate preventing liquid from spilling when the receptacle is tilted to pour off liquid through the spout, and an auxiliary trough pivoted to the side wall of the receptacle above the bafile plate for swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis from an inverted position over the bafile plate to an upwardly facing position extending laterally from the top of the receptacle and inclined downward toward the receptacle.

5. A drain tank as set forth in claim 4, wherein the trough has a latch cngageable with the receptacle for latching it in inverted position.

6. A drain tank comprising a receptacle having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall and a bottom, said receptacle being open at the top, a bafile plate fixed in the receptacle below the top thereof, said baffle plate having a substantially circular outline corresponding to the cylindrical form of the peripheral wall of the receptacle andhaving its margin secured to the inside of the peripheral wall of the receptacle, said bafile plate in conjunction with the portion of the peripheral wall of the receptacle above the baffle plate forming a basin for catching draining liquid, said baffle plate having an opening for drainage of liquid from the basin to the portion of the receptacle below the bafilc plate, said opening being located at the margin of the baffle plate, and said bafile plate being formed for flow of liquid toward said marginal opening, and a pouring spout in the peripheral wall of the receptacle located opposite said opening and in the upper part of the portion of the peripheral wall of the receptacle below the baffle plate.

7. A drain tank as set forth in claim 6 wherein said bafile plate is of downwardly dished shape and is formed to have a trough extending radially outward from the center of the plate and inclined downward from the center of the plate toward the margin of the plate, the outer end of the trough being spaced from the peripheral wall of the receptacle to provide the said opening for drainage of liquid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,554,589 Long Sept. 22, 1925 1,568,830 Gunderson Ian. 5, 1926 1,949,777 Bristol Mar. 6, 1934 1,951,498 Whitney Mar. 20, 1934 2,021,585 Zarovy Nov. 19, 1935 2,023,007 Delano Dec. 3, 1935 2,267,552 Currier Dec. 23, 1941 

